Odyssey
by TrueThought
Summary: All things are about to come to a head. Old enemies. New battlegrounds. A love that lasts beyond all odds. A friendship that comes in the darkest hours. A trust that makes anything possible. Been a while but here is the sequel to Revolution! Rated T for potential language.
1. A Murdered Fool

"I'm a dreamer who comes tumbling out of the sky:  
trees beneath, sometimes I'm wondering if I've climbed too high"

Legends aren't made overnight; that I can believe. Few are legends in their own lifetime.  
So what does it say when a group of friends would willingly call each other 'legends'. Is that adoration, or appreciation?  
In today's world, small acts of selflessness and compassion are incredible things. So what about huge acts of love towards a world of people, most of whom you will never meet; what do they say about a person?  
Well, for a start, those are the people we call 'heroes'.  
_Extract from a Daily Planet Article by Pulitzer Prize Winner Lois Lane_

Under the clear sky of Gotham the Batmobile sped through the streets along the middle of the road. It had been a quiet night and, although it was only eleven o'clock, Batman had officially signed off for the night.  
"Will you be on the way home sir?" Alfred's voice came over the Batmobile's computer.  
"Miracle of miracles, I think so," Bruce replied. "Unless anything comes up, Jim told me he and Nightwing will have everything covered."  
"Very good sir."  
"Is Cassie down for the night?"  
"Miss Cassandra was asleep several hours ago sir," Alfred assured him.  
Bruce nodded, "I just like checking. I'll be home in about ten minutes."  
The console beeped at him, "Hang on Alfred."  
He switched onto the other channel, "Yes?"  
"Batman, something's come up."  
Bruce sighed, "Jim I thought we agreed – I was done for the night."  
Commissioner Gordon sounded apologetic, "Sorry but I'd like your input on this one."  
"Connected to the drug gangs?"  
"Probably. 15 West Avenue."  
"I'll be there shortly."  
He switched back to Alfred, "Change of plan – I'm going to be home late again."  
"I'll get out the bandages for your return sir," Alfred said in a sarcastic tone.  
Bruce gave a wry smile, "Diana got home on time did she?"

Gordon was waiting for him in the showroom apartment of a new development block and didn't look surprised when Batman dropped in through the window.  
He turned to the forensic team, "Could you give us a minute?"  
The men in white suits grumbled a bit at this but the Commissioner sent them on their way with a light-hearted, "Don't worry – it'll all still be here when you get back."  
"I'll try not to touch anything then," Batman said wryly once the door was closed on them.  
"To be honest I don't think there's much here that you could get more from than we can," Gordon replied. "The deceased is over here."  
The body of a man was crumpled up in an armchair in the corner of the room, his face covered in shadow until Gordon turned on his torch. Batman closed his eyes and bit into his tongue to stop himself gasping in shock.  
"Cause of death and so on is not particularly difficult to determine in this case," Gordon continued, "but I wanted to know if he was involved in anything he shouldn't have been; there doesn't seem to be any other reason for him to be murdered."  
"He was definitely murdered?"  
"He was killed in a warehouse down the street and carried two hundred yards to this unoccupied apartment – doesn't seem to have been an accident. Especially not with this."  
He turned his torch onto the floor where Batman could see a word traced onto the wooden boards.

_FOOL_

Batman stepped back and let out a long sigh. He was conscious of Gordon watching him.  
"You know something about this?"  
"You know his name was Jimmy Turner?"  
"Credit card told us that."  
"He was an informant of mine."  
Gordon raised an eyebrow, "Oh yes?" There was a clear tone of disapproval in his voice when he continued, "So you'll be able to tell me who wanted him dead?"  
Batman shook his head, "I can't; he hasn't been in that line of work for eight years. You know as well as I do that he wouldn't have had any information that was worth something after that time."  
"Are you sure?" Gordon pointed to the word on the floor with the beam of his torch. "Maybe he was getting back into the business."  
"I don't think so. He said he was leaving it behind and I trust his word."  
Gordon nodded, "Alright, that's all I wanted to ask. Do you want me to keep you in the loop on this case?"  
"If you wouldn't mind," Batman said. He turned and jumped through the open window, letting his dark wings carry him on the nearest rooftop and into the night.

The Batcave was very quiet when he got back. Alfred had left a tray on the workbench although the food was, by now, stone cold. Bruce ate some of the chicken anyway, before sitting down at the computer and calling up all the records he had on Jimmy Turner. It wasn't much –certainly nothing after their last meeting except for the birth of twins later that year. Eight years ago. They'd be eight years old by now.  
He almost didn't notice his wife come in until she put her hands on his shoulders.  
"Long night," Diana said quietly. There was a hint of amusement in her soft voice.  
"Something like that." He tilted his head to look up at her, "One of my informants – sorry, _ex_-informants – was killed a few hours ago."  
Diana looked up at the screen, taking the information in, "His children?"  
"They're eight years old and they've just lost their father."  
He sighed, "I'm sorry."  
She leant down to kiss his forehead, "Are you going to be alright?"  
Bruce gave her a small smile, "Give me an hour down here and I'll be done brooding for the evening." He keyed in a memo to put the Turner's on the benefits list for Wayne Enterprises.  
Diana walked round his chair and perched on the edge of the computer desk. "I've been thinking – maybe it's time I took Cassie to Themyscira; my mother wants to see her."  
He turned off the computer screen and got to his feet, "She's not going to be happy that it's taken you this long."  
"I _have_ been busy," Diana protested. "Just a few super-villains here and there, lot of late nights keeping an eye on the Bunker so J'onn can run around with the rest of you in an effort to keep the team at full strength-"  
"Darling I was there," Bruce cut her off with a smile, "all I'm saying is that you'll have to explain all that to Hippolyta. I have every respect for your mother but she hasn't always understood your responsibilities as Wonder Woman. When were you thinking of going?"  
"Tomorrow or the day after I suppose."  
"I'll arrange Dick to cover Gotham for me and sort out monitor duty in the Bunker. You can take the Javelin."  
Diana kissed him, "You're done brooding now?"  
Bruce let his arms slip around her and pull her closer, "To a point."  
"How would you cope without me?"  
"I didn't," he laughed, "I thought we established that long ago!"

Dr Raymond Palmer woke to the sound of his mobile signalling the arrival of a text message. He sat upright in his chair at once and found he had to peel a page of notes off his face.  
"Note to self," he muttered, "a caffeine rush doesn't last forever. I should really know that – since I'm a scientist. It's four in the morning and I'm talking to myself. Sleeping at my desk probably isn't a good idea either."  
He thought about that for a bit.  
"Thank goodness it's the weekend."  
He pulled the phone across to him and checked the message.

_Dr Palmer, I'm afraid my timetable has been shaken up again and the earliest I can fit you in is next week. My advice would be for you to contact STAR Labs since they'd be able to get you funding within the next few weeks. I'd be happy to give you some contact details. Bruce Wayne_

Ray Palmer shook his head, "Who knew? There's too much work for, not just one, but _two_ superhero teams."

He has been waiting here, in the darkness of space, for the right time. Why? No, that is not the question. For how long? That is important to know.  
Who is he? We know who he is. He has been here before. He lives for the achievement of his desires. He enjoys a challenge. That is why his greatest enemy is still alive. He saw him before; he has given him a taste of what is to come. His enemy will have forgotten by now of course – forgotten the lesson he learned; that lives are slaves to chance. Only that dictates whether they are extinguished or if they continue. But when he remembers, the lesson will stick. How long ago was that?  
Far sweeter than meeting him on the field of battle, his spirit being broken will make music for dark forces. The witch was willing to facilitate this. She asked only a small favour, the loan of a minion to achieve their shared goal.  
Who is he? We know. Why is he here, planning his invasion, marshalling his forces? The answer is obvious.  
How long has he been there? A much more important question.  
How long has he been there? Is he ready yet?

* * *

**A.N.** And we're back! First things first, thanks for all the support! In part I'll be taking the opportunity to tie up some loose ends from the previous story. Oh, and the quote at the top is from the song 'If I'm Any Closer' by Seal, those lines of which were running through my head all the time I was writing this. They are - as you'll see later, vaguely relevant.

As always, enjoy and leave a comment!


	2. A Giant Falls

Carter Hall, aka Hawkman, hit the ground with bone-crunching force. He grimaced as he levered himself up on his arms and pulled himself across the ground behind some rubble. Behind him Captain Marvel and Starfire were attempting to bring down a giant Minotaur android.  
"We're losing Carter!" Captain Marvel yelled at him.  
"I noticed!" Hawkman retorted. "Just keep going! We'll think of something!"  
"Do you guys need help?"  
He looked up to find Green Lantern floating above him. Hawkman gave a sigh of frustration. Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse…  
"No, we don't."  
"It looks like you do. How many League members did you bring?"  
Hawkman snarled in frustration. It was becoming painfully clear that Green Lantern was right – with most of the League away hunting the Shadows, only a few heroes had been spared to help in Star City. Be that as it may, however, Hell would have to be in the middle of an ice age before he admitted anything of the kind to one of the Founders.  
He twisted round to get a good look at what was going on beyond the rubble pile he was sitting against. It was only then that he saw the giant, metallic creature towering above him.  
"Oh hell," he groaned.  
The android brought its fist crashing down, only to bounce off a green shield that appeared out of nowhere. Green Lantern flew past him, hitting the android with another burst of green energy. Then Hawkgirl flew into the battle, sweeping her mace round and catching the android under the chin. As it stumbled backwards Superman dropped down behind the rubble next to Hawkman.  
"Any idea how that thing works?"  
Hawkman tried to get to his feet and ignore him; after their last encounter a year ago he had no intention of being helpful to Superman but as he tried to move his bones complained loudly. He gave another groan and sat back. At least they hadn't sent Batman.  
"Toyman has a controller – somewhere – he keeps moving."  
Superman nodded, "Keep still – you'll feel better in a bit." He stood up, "Flash – what's your ETA?"  
His answer was a red blur that stopped short in front of him.  
"Toyman's round here somewhere. We'll keep the android busy, you find him."  
"Absolutely," Flash said and disappeared across the street.  
Superman's communicator beeped, "Yes?"  
"How is it going?" J'onn's voice asked.  
Superman glanced upwards to watch Hawkgirl and Green Lantern still fighting, "That rather depends. How did Theseus kill the Minotaur again?"  
"With a sword I believe."  
Superman looked at the metallic android in front of them, "Okay, that's not going to work."  
"Any ideas Superman?" Hawkgirl asked into the communicator.  
"Flash is on the hunt for Toyman; we just have to keep this thing contained as long as possible. GL, are you with us?"  
"Hearing you loud and clear."  
"Flash?"  
"I'm narrowing the field," Flash's voice panted, "but any time you can give me would be appreciated."  
"Right," Superman said, "keep at it. GL, you and I are going to on work containment, try to pin it down as much as possible so it doesn't knock the whole city down. Hawkgirl-"  
He allowed himself to grin at her, "Just keep whacking."

Green Lantern used his power ring to tie the android's arms to his sides; below him grabbed hold of one of its legs and pulled it out from under it. As it fell, Hawkgirl flew down and swung her mace round, hitting it under the chin with all her strength. The android twisted mid-fall and landed on its side.  
"Nice shot," Flash commented through her earpiece.  
Hawkgirl was about to reply when the android suddenly raised an arm, throwing out a fist that bounced off Green Lantern's shield. He flew off into a nearby building and the android got to its feet. It began to take a step forward when Superman used his heat vision to sever one of its legs, sending it crashing back down to the ground. The android fell forward towards him.  
"Go right!" Hawkgirl's voice yelled in his ear. Superman responded automatically, twisting to the right and flying past the android. Hawkgirl dived in swung her mace into the side of its head, knocking it clean off. The head rolled off and stopped just a few inches away from him.  
"You never cease to amaze me," he said, looking up to smile at his friend. "You'd better check if GL's okay."  
"Thanks," she replied, with obvious relief in her voice and flew off. Superman watched her go.  
"Flash, any news?"  
At that moment the body of the android twitched and, with a whirring of mechanisms, pushed itself up on one elbow, towering above him even without its legs.  
"Some new rather quickly would be nice," he muttered.  
The android raised a fist high above its head and then brought it down with a swishing sound. Batman put his arms above his head instinctively, even though his brain told him flatly that it would be now use whatsoever.  
He heard the Flash say "Gotcha!" in his ear and with a creaking sound the metal fist stopped just above him.  
It took him a few seconds to start breathing again.  
"Fastest man alive…" he began, then changed his mind mid-sentence, "good job."

Hawkman sat upright with a groan and managed to lever himself onto his feet using his mace. He looked round to see Superman standing beside him.  
"What?"  
"You should get yourself checked out you know."  
Carter glared at him, "Are you just going to take over our job now?"  
"You needed the help," Superman pointed out.  
"We can handle ourselves."  
Superman watched him for a moment or two.  
"You know, you are a good hero; every one of us would willingly be the first to admit it. You are a great man but you're also a proud one. I don't know exactly how devastating that will be in your position but I know for sure that it's only a matter of time before there's a cost. Please, just bear that in mind Carter. If you do then the League will be fine with you and Captain Atom in charge – I sincerely believe that."  
He turned away, "Guys, I'll see you back at base."

"How angry was Carter to see you?"  
Superman smiled a little as he flew across the Atlantic, "He wasn't happy, put it that way. If we hadn't helped though, he would have been pretty flat."  
"There's that farm boy humour coming out."  
"How're you doing by yourself? I hear Diana is en route to Paradise Island."  
"Oh yes, its bachelor's night in," Batman's voice was heavily laden with sarcasm. "Currently I'm using the Bunker's systems to track your progress. You know there's a flight from Berlin due to cross your path in about ten seconds?"  
"I'm getting out of the way," Superman assured him.  
"Good, because it always looks pretty bad if you have to catch the plane after you nearly crashed it."  
"You make a good point." He paused for a moment before asking, "How are you actually?"  
"Fine; I don't think Hippolyta would have been pleased to see me anyway."  
"I'll be back in a few minutes so you should put the kettle on."  
"Way ahead of you," Batman assured him, "I'm on my second coffee."  
Superman chuckled, "Don't you think it's a bit –"

When he was asked about it later Superman found it hard to describe. One second he was flying over the East Coast, the next his weight suddenly took effect. The sudden drag of gravity on his body made his heart stop in shock as he felt himself drop out of the sky. His cape fluttered and tangled itself round his head as he tumbled over and over; blind and terrified out of his mind he heard in his ear Batman's yell of confusion and fear.  
"CLARK!"

* * *

**A.N.** Shorter chapter this time but why not end on tenterhooks?

Enjoy and leave comments! I'll get round to the next chapter soon I hope.


	3. Static Breeds Questions

"Clark! Dammit, answer me!" Batman rose in panic out his chair, his hand clenching into a fist.  
"Superman, COME IN!" His answer was static.  
He switched to one of the other communication channels, "Shayera, do you copy? I need you to get to Superman's –"  
Static again.  
"GL?"  
"J'onn? Flash?"  
"Anybody – say something!"  
The door behind him opened and Amanda Waller, ex-director of Project CADMUS and current government liaison for the Founders, appeared in the room.  
"Is something happening?"  
"We've just lost Superman," he replied, turning to face her. "I need whatever information you can get. I'd prefer not to get into a debate about your precise role and government involvement at this stage."  
She nodded and left the room again without the argument he had been expecting. He turned back to the bank of monitors and began to run a diagnostic check on the communication systems. Everything seemed to be functioning normally. At this point a beeping from the monitors surprised him. Batman keyed open the channel, "Flash?"  
Flash's voice was discernibly shaky, "Batman, I – I need…"  
"What do you need Wally?" Batman asked gently, concern for his friend twisting his gut into a knot.  
"…Something's happened," Flash managed to stammer out before a loud thud through the microphone indicated that he'd dropped the earpiece.  
Batman glanced across the screens; the diagnostic had finished scanning and had come up with nothing – the Bunker's systems were clean.  
"So the problem is at the other end," he murmured and cycled through the different channels again, getting nothing but static again, "at _all_ the other ends it appears."  
He heard Waller come back into the room.  
"This isn't just Superman."  
Batman, with a great effort, kept his voice level, "What do you mean?"  
She handed him a sheet of fax messages, "Black Lightning has lost power in the middle of a hostage situation in a shopping mall – it's all over security cameras. Five superheroes have crash landed in the last few minutes."  
"You're getting the information awfully fast."  
"We keep tabs on them. Don't ask any more," she said, cutting off his immediate question, "it's classified. You clearly can't raise any of the others."  
Batman looked round at Waller, "How many heroes do we think have been affected in some way?"  
She looked back towards her office at the sound of the fax machine spitting out another message, "Most or all of them it seems."

Batman turned back to monitors and keyed in another channel.  
"Diana?"  
"Bruce?" She sounded surprised, "I took off less than ten minutes ago, what's wrong?"  
"Are you and Cassie alright?"  
"Of course. Seriously, what's happened?"  
"I need you to come back to the Bunker, right now. Just turn the Batplane around and come straight here – don't take any detours."  
He took a deep breath, because she needed to understand, "Superman is down – so is Flash. The others are currently unaccounted for."  
He heard her own intake of breath, "I'm on my way."  
"See if you can raise Alfred – get him to check on Dick." He turned back to Waller, "Can we still track Flash's location?"  
"If he hasn't moved from where he dropped his communicator."  
"I don't think he sounded fit enough to do that," Batman muttered. "I'll take the Javelin."  
"Bunker, come in!"  
They both sprang at the monitors to answer the call.  
"GL, is that you?" Batman asked.  
"Yeah – I'm with Shayera," Green Lantern's voice said. "I'm having trouble with my power ring – it's not working properly."  
"But you're alright otherwise?" Waller asked.  
"We're both fine," Hawkgirl chipped in. "It just happened rather suddenly. One minute he was flying normally, the next –"  
"Can you get back to the Bunker GL?" Batman interrupted her.  
"Probably."  
"Right, you get back here. Shayera, I need you to find Superman – Waller will send you his last known coordinates. Look on the ground."  
"You need to bear in mind the possibility we may be under attack," Waller pointed out as he headed for the door.  
"If we were under attack then John and Shayera would be fighting for their lives right now," he replied.  
"Then what are the other possibilities?"  
He shook his head, "Just let me know when Diana gets here with my daughter."

Flash was sitting on the edge of the pavement in Star City, his hands clenched together, his eyes fixed on the road in front of him. A couple of yards away the police were keeping back the crowds as a body was loaded into an ambulance. Batman landed the Javelin in the area cleared by the police and made his way across to Flash, noting the blood stain on the wall behind him.  
He sat down on the pavement beside him, "You okay?"  
Wally's voice was barely above a whisper, "I wasn't fast enough."  
Batman frowned, "You what?"  
"I was running to stop him getting – shot…killed." He looked straight at Batman, "I slowed down – down to normal speed…I wasn't fast enough."  
He dropped his head to look at the road again. Batman glanced up at the crowds, now peppered with camera flashes. Taking hold of Flash's arm he pulled him gently to his feet.  
"Come on, let's get back to base."  
Flash allowed himself to be led away without a word.

Diana was sitting on the sofa in the Bunker, holding Cassie's hand as she dozed. She got to her feet when Bruce walked in, pulling off his cowl. As her mother stood up, Cassie woke and stretched out her small hands to her father. Bruce scooped her into his arms and lent over to kiss his wife on the cheek.  
"You're both okay?"  
Diana sighed, "I'm not entirely sure. Waller told me to fly once around the bunker. I can't use my powers Bruce."  
Bruce squeezed her hand, "I was starting to wonder. I'm assuming that's what the others have noticed?"  
"Waller has been compiling examples for the past half-hour. Superheroes with the ability to fly are being taken into emergency rooms all over the world, magic users are unable to conjure spells. And GL has been testing his ring's capabilities. Thank the gods for his strength of will or it would probably be useless as well."  
"That's interesting."  
"Is it?"  
"At this stage I know little more than you do, so pretty much anything is interesting." He bounced Cassie up and down in his arms thoughtfully, "Has Shayera got in with Clark yet?"  
"She's on her way; and Dick and Alfred are fine."  
"Only super powered beings then. Has anyone heard from J'onn?"  
"No – and if you're theory is correct, which I suppose it must be, then we should have by now. Unless he's really in trouble."  
Bruce nodded, "Or this…'event' is affecting aliens as well. I'll get the Javelin out again. Let me know when Clark arrives, better yet, when he's awake."  
"You're going to have to get someone else to do that for you," Diana retorted, "I'm coming with you."  
"Diana, you really don't need –"  
"If someone _is_ attacking us then they'll move onto the vigilantes next – or don't you think that anyone else views you as important?"  
"That's still only an 'if' though," Bruce pointed out.  
"You just said everything is an 'if' at the moment."  
He nodded, "Alright – we'll drop Cassie at the Manor on the way."

They tracked J'onn's earpiece to a wooded location just a few miles out of Middletown. Diana landed the Javelin in a field; Bruce headed into the trees, following the signal.  
"Anything yet?"  
"Not yet. I should be close though – that is if the tracker has been fixed since last time."  
He heard his wife laugh, "It wasn't _that_ far off."  
"It was far enough. China is not the same as Japan."  
A movement to the right made him stop, "J'onn? Is that you?"  
Silence answered him. He took a couple of steps forward, "J'onn?"  
A figure emerged from the bushes, a figure with an angular-shaped head, dull green skin and glittering orange eyes.  
"Batman. I'm glad to see you."  
Bruce found himself staring, "I don't – how – "  
He pulled himself together, "I'm guessing you didn't just feel like taking on your natural Martian form for the evening, did you?"  
J'onn shook his head, "I'm afraid not. I am unable to use my powers it seems. I didn't think it would be a good idea to walk through populated areas…like this. As you said once, I'm not reassuring even in my normal form."  
He was looking squarely at Bruce, as if daring him to lie, "Am I the only one to whom this has happened?"  
"What did you sense before your telepathy went down?"  
"Nothing."  
Bruce frowned, "You mean –"  
"I mean that one minute I had my powers, the next I did not."  
"No abnormal telepathic activity? No electronic surge or radiation spike? Nothing?"  
"Nothing."  
Bruce's mind began to race, trying to put this information together to form a suitable solution. It was the lack of data that forced him to give up, as no solution would fit the lack of facts that seemed to be available. He took a deep breath and put his hand on J'onn's arm, "Come on old friend. Let's get you home. And find out what the hell is going on."

* * *

**A.N.** An A-B chapter again. But while it's explanatory to an extent, I'm not giving away everything! This idea comes from an AT4W review of JLA Act Of God (so in the unlikely possibility that anyone from that site is reading this, thanks you!) but I've played around with it a bit.

As always, enjoy and comment!


	4. Pride and Costs

Billy Batson, unable to change into Captain Marvel for the moment, ran into the monitor room of the Watchtower, "Carter! What's happened?"  
Carter Hall's eyes were flicking from screen to screen. Beside him, Red Tornado stood motionless. At first Billy thought he had stopped working but, on approaching him, he caught the whir and clicking of cogs which meant the entity was still working inside the suit.  
"I CANNOT RAISE VIXEN. STARFIRE IS PILOTING A SHUTTLE IN THE AREA."  
"Get her to find Mari then." Carter looked around at Billy, "Magic not working?"  
"Not really. The spell's all wonky," he replied. "It's like I can't concentrate on it – or rather, I can concentrate but I can't get the spell focused in my mind."  
Carter shook his head, "That doesn't really clarify things. It's not just metahumans that are affected and only some kind of aliens – there doesn't seem to be a connection anywhere."  
"PERHAPS WE SHOULD CONTACT THE NEW GODS," Red Tornado suggested. "AT THE LEAST THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT IS HAPPENING. ALTERNATIVELY, THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THEM."  
"You mean Darkseid?"  
"IT HAS BEEN KNOWN."  
Carter opened his mouth to reply but before he could do so the room erupted with the sound of the alarm. He swung around to consult the wall of screens that were installed to show him whatever he wanted across the planet. His eyes widened in horror.  
"Oh no…"  
Billy looked round him at the screens, "What _is_ that?"  
Carter swallowed hard.  
"Put simply Billy, it's a radiation spike."  
He turned and ran for the lift, calling over his shoulder, "If you can get the spell to work, follow on after us."  
Red Tornado's head swivelled round and his eyes glowed a little brighter as he turned on his internal communicator, "ALL UNITS STILL OPERATING PROCEED TO MEXICO CITY – COORDINATES TO FOLLW. BE PREPARED FOR RADIATION CONTAINMENT OPERATIONS."

Amanda Waller met them as they arrived in the Bunker's hangar bay.  
"There's a problem."  
"What kind of problem?" Diana asked.  
"A Justice League problem," Waller replied. "They need your help." She handed over another fax message with a few lines of text on it, "Turns out Captain Atom was flying home like Superman. Unfortunately the fall damaged his suit so…"  
Batman exchanged glances with Diana and J'onn.  
"Get Shayera and GL down here."

The Javelin landed on the edge of the cleared area just outside the city. Batman and Green Lantern practically fell off the boarding ramp in their haste. The waste ground in front of them was empty and bare but for a lone figure doubled over on the ground. The bright glow from his chest, masked a little by his arms which were wrapped around himself, reflected off his silver armour. Hawkman and Vixen had been standing just on the edge of the waste ground but when they saw the Javelin land they began to make their way over.  
"How bad is it?" Batman asked as soon as they reached them.  
"He's holding himself together by sheer strength of will – somehow," Vixen said looking confused. "Of course, that's not going to last long."  
"I'll see what I can do to contain it," Green Lantern said, taking off toward Captain Atom just as Shayera joined them. A green bubble shot out of his ring, engulfing the prone figure on the ground but, to Batman, it seemed of a paler colour than usual.  
"That won't hold the radiation long at all," Hawkman commented.  
"Do you have a better plan?" Shayera asked pointedly.  
"No. But I assume Batman does."  
They all looked at him and saw his shoulders slump a little.  
"I really don't. We need to absorb the radiation somehow but I don't see any way to do that."  
"Is Captain Atom going to survive this?" Vixen asked.  
Batman turned his head away from her, "If the radiation hits the city - that's several million lives."  
He was ignoring her question completely but they all knew why. Across the waste ground the green light flickered and went out for a second before reforming.  
"JOHN!" Shayera yelled, panic identifiable in her voice.  
"I'm okay!" Green Lantern shouted back. "I can't hold it though – it's just not – I can't –"  
"Hang on GL! We'll think of something!" Vixen called out.  
"I've thought of something," Hawkman said grimly, his grip suddenly tightening on his mace.  
"What?" Shayera looked round at him looking puzzled.  
"When I get close GL has to lower the shield," Hawkman continued, looking at Batman.  
Realisation clicked in Batman's head and his mouth opened in surprise, "No – Carter you can't!"  
"Why not? It's Nth metal – you don't know what it can and can't do!"  
"And you do?"  
"I know it can fix this."  
"Carter," Shayera put her hand on his arm, "please, don't do this."  
Hawkman put his hand over hers for a moment, "Look after John Stewart - and yourself."  
He broke her hold on him and walked past Batman towards the green shield which flickered and reformed again. He turned back to face him.  
"Superman told me that I had too much pride. That you all respected my abilities but that I would cost my team one day. Consider this that cost."  
Without saying another word he leapt into the air.  
"CARTER!" Shayera cried.  
The green shield flickered for the last time and vanished. Green Lantern fell to the ground as Carter Hall shot past him. He brought his mace round in a great arc and buried it in the centre of the glow of radiation emanating from Captain Atom.  
The light that burst out was blinding forcing all of them to shield their eyes. After a couple of seconds it faded, leaving behind it the body of Hawkman and the shell of Captain Atom.  
Silenly Batman pulled a Geiger counter from his belt and waved it in the air.  
"We're clear. He did it."  
He put his hand on Shayera's shoulder, "You can go and get them."  
She turned her tear-stained face to him and then flew off across the waste ground. She landed beside Green Lantern and stayed beside him, cradling his hand and looking across at Hawkman's body.

J'onn checked the monitor in the medical bay; Clark Kent's vital signs were steady, indicating that his natural invulnerability was not significantly affected by the 'event', for want of a better word. Whatever had happened, in a way Clark's condition was proof that things could have been a lot worse. Even so, if it turned out to be a permenant state of affairs, J'onn doubted that he would ever get used to the silence that accompanied his own thoughts when he retreated into his mind. On several occasions in the past his telepathy had been a curse but now it seemed to be a curse worth living with.  
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Wally sit up in bed, "Are you feeling rested?" He didn't bother asking how he felt, if Wally had any way of describing it, J'onn was sure he wouldn't want to hear it.  
"I did sleep for a bit," Wally said. "Where's everybody else?"  
"Hawkgirl is on her way in with GL, she dropped Batman off in Gotham. Superman is over here and Waller is speaking with the authorities."  
"What's wrong with GL?"  
"I'm hoping Shayera will enlighten us when she gets back. No one seems to be able to confirm very much at the moment."  
"No supervillain has claimed responsibility for all this yet?"  
"I'm under the impression that most, if not all meta-humans have been affected." J'onn glanced over at him, wishing once again that his telepathy was still working so that he could tell exactly how his friend was coping.  
Even so, he felt that he should say something, so he began by saying, "It wasn't the first time Wally, and it won't be the last."  
"I take exception to this one J'onn. It wasn't on me this time or on blind chance – it was somebody else taking away my ability to keep that man alive just a bit longer. I don't like people interfering like that." He didn't sound that upset anymore, just angry and all of a sudden so much more like Barry Allen than he had before.  
J'onn went over and sat down next to him, "None of us do. That's why, once Clark is back on his feet and Batman has found out exactly what happened and how, we'll be fixing this whole thing."  
Wally nodded, "Well, obviously. I will if even if everybody else won't."

After about three hours Diana had decided to stop worrying and go back to Wayne Manor. She checked in on Clark and Wally before leaving. Clark's condition was stable but he was still unconscious. As for Wally he was finally sleeping and she didn't want to wake him considering everything that had happened.  
She put Cassie to bed and then sat down on the sofa to wait for Bruce. She wiggled her toes in the thick rug in front of the fire and remembered dancing together. It seemed like a long time ago.  
She must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew was feeling Bruce carefully sit down on the sofa next to her and softly run his fingers through her hair.  
"Is everything all right?" she asked. Something told her that it might not be.  
"Captain Atom is dead. Carter Hall is in critical condition – not sure if he'll make it."  
All Diana could do was catch his hand in hers and give it a squeeze.  
"Is this what we have to expect now?"  
She wished she couldn't hear the strain in his voice, "I honestly don't know. I don't know what to do now. Suddenly I'm afraid of what comes next and there's Cassie to think of –"  
"The good news is, you don't have to figure this out by yourself," Diana pointed out.  
"That's true."  
"And Cassie has you and me looking after her," she continued, "not to mention Dick and Barbara and Alfred as well as the other Founders. I'd like to see anyone get past that lot."  
It was at that moment that the French windows blew open with a sharp gust of wind.

Bruce and Diana sat up to see a figure standing on carpet in front of them. He wore a small pair of wings on his helmet.  
"Hermes!" Diana exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"  
"You couldn't knock?" Bruce muttered, getting to his feet.  
"Bruce," Diana glared at her husband.  
"It's not like the door knocker doesn't work," he added.  
The messenger of the gods, if he was offended, chose not to show it.  
"I bring a message from Almighty Zeus."  
Bruce was instantly serious, "What's happened?"  
Hermes looked from him to Diana, "I think you both already know."  
All at once he looked embarrassed, "The gods have sent me to ask you for help Princess."  
Diana looked at the floor, "I don't think I can help you. I've lost –"  
"Your powers?" He shook his head, "No. Not lost."  
"What do you mean?" Bruce asked.  
Hermes glanced back at him, "Zeus told me to tell you to come to the place where the Justice League first fought together, at noon tomorrow. There he will answer your questions."  
"Why not –" Bruce began, but Hermes turned and disappeared out of the French windows in another gust of wind.  
For a minute or so they both stood there in silence. At last Diana met her husband's gaze.  
"How bad must it be if the gods themselves need _our _help?"

* * *

**A.N.** Okay, I promise I'm going to stop dragging it out and the next chapter will have some exposition! That being said, hope you enjoyed a slightly longer chapter and please leave comments!


	5. On the Edge of a Void

He has walked the world since time immemorial. Age long, he has ruled the skies over the heads of humankind.  
He was not the first.  
There were others who came before. They ruled before he was born. He was a successor and usurper.  
Now he is a god.  
But he needs help from a warrior. Because there is another god in the world.  
Zeus will not be usurped.

The savannah was shimmering a little under the noonday sun when they landed the Batplane. There were two figures standing fifty feet away; the one with wings on his helmet was a little shorter than the other.  
Diana could tell Bruce was on edge. He'd been rather quiet since they left Gotham and she couldn't blame him. These were members of the pantheon to which she owed her life and she was nervous herself.  
Zeus was an awesome figure, standing a full two heads taller than them both with eyes that flashed with an inward fire and around his neck he wore the glittering aegis, the collar of tassels and snake's heads that was supposed to instil fear into his enemies.  
They stopped walking a respectful distance away from the gods and Diana bowed.  
"Princess," Zeus' voice was unbelievably deep, as if it came from the underwater canyons of the Pacific Ocean. "You came when I asked."  
"I am bound by oath to serve the gods," Diana replied with a slightly puzzled frown.  
"You have other loyalties these days," Hermes pointed out.  
"And I wasn't aware that this was a problem," she countered. Immediately after saying this she bit her tongue, wishing she hadn't. The fact that neither deity appeared to react to her insolence alarmed her.  
"You told us yesterday that you would answer our questions," Bruce cut in. "I'd like to pick up on Hermes' statement – my wife's powers have not been 'lost'. That would imply they've been 'taken' wouldn't it?"  
Diana clocked the emphasis he put on the title of 'wife'.  
"She is not the only one affected -"  
"That far I had got," Bruce interrupted.  
"The witch has blocked the abilities of most superheroes on Earth," Zeus continued as if the interruption hadn't happened.  
"Hang on – 'witch'?" Diana put in.  
"'Blocked'?" Bruce added with a frown.  
"In a sense," Hermes replied to Bruce. "If you like, a wall of magic has been placed around their minds to prevent them from using powers activated by thought. Any power that requires thought to activate it to whatever degree the user chooses is now useless. Think about it, the Kryptonian is still an impregnable figure because those abilities occur naturally, but he cannot utilize his powers of flight or strength because it requires his thoughts on how much force to use."  
"Your powers," Zeus continued, speaking to Diana, "are activated by a choice to use them, and all choice must come from the mind on some level. Therefore a block around your minds will render your powers useless. The Kryptonian is able to survive a fall from a great height because his DNA makes him invulnerable. The Martian has reverted to his natural state because he cannot maintain his illusion. The Thanagarian woman can still fly because of instinctive reactions that come naturally to her people, leaving the Green Lantern as the only one who possesses the strength of will to break through the magic."  
"Because the ring runs on his strength of will," Bruce agreed. "What about the magic-users?"  
"Unable to concentrate on their spells, as the Martian is on his telepathy," Hermes replied. "In their case, the witch's magic acts as a more literal wall between them and their magic."  
Bruce and Diana exchanged glances.  
"This 'witch'," she said, turning back to the two gods, "who is it?"  
"Circe."  
"It can't be," Diana objected, "she's not powerful enough to do all this."  
"She is now," Zeus informed her. "With help from her new ally, she has stolen the powers of the gods."  
"That's impossible!"  
"Not with help from a god."  
Diana frowned, "Surely none of the gods would help Circe against their own kind."  
"He is not of our kind," Zeus retorted, as if he was offended by the implication of her statement. "Darkseid is making plans to invade Earth."  
Husband and wife looked at one another.  
"I suppose it's too much to hope that you're mistaken," Bruce asked.  
"There is no mistake. The witch Circe has removed his main obstacle to settle a score with the Olympians. She has removed Earth's heroes."  
"So why do you need Diana?"  
"Only one god has been protected from Circe's magic," Hermes said. There was a slight note of disgust in his voice, "Hades is separated from this earth and is therefore exempt. We need you, princess, to go into the Underworld and ask the Lord of the Dead for help."  
"You couldn't go and ask him yourself I suppose?"  
"The Olympian gods cannot set foot in Hades' realm," Diana explained to him.  
"Princess, only Hades can help restore your powers and those of your friends," Zeus put in, "and only with your powers can you ever hope to stand against Darkseid."  
"How safe is it?" Bruce asked pointedly.  
Zeus turned his attention back to him, "Heroes have been known to enter the Underworld and leave it again."  
"But Circe is likely to try and stop her, isn't she?"  
"It is a possibility –"  
"I need a word," Bruce cut him off, grabbing Diana by the elbow and pulling her away.

They stopped several metres away.  
"Bruce, you know we don't have a choice – not with Darkseid on his way –"  
"And you trust them?"  
"They're gods, Bruce; they aren't wrong."  
"Sorry, stupid question."  
She had her hands on his upper arms in a comforting way, "I'm not afraid of the Underworld and I'm willing to fight my way out if I have to. Please Bruce; at least think of Cassie."  
"I am." He took a breath and looked up into her eyes, "I know we don't have a choice. I know very well that otherwise we don't have a hope and in any case, I hate the look in Flash's eyes at the thought of not being able to use his powers and I'm dreading seeing Clark's when he's up and about again. But just for a moment – just for now I know you'll understand if I indulge myself, act like a normal loving husband and beg you not to go."  
He put his arms around her quite quickly and pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing her lips and then murmuring in a desperate, more human way, "Please don't leave me. _Please_ don't go."  
Diana squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears but they ran down her cheeks all the same as she fiercely returned the embrace.  
"I'll be alright, I promise," she whispered.  
She felt his head nod and something seemed to suggest to the both of them that they should let go. His cheek brushed hers as they did so and she felt an urge to pull him back. They turned as one to walk back towards the two gods. Diana raised her eyes to meet those of Zeus.  
"I'm ready." The words came out choked and she wasn't quite sure why. Suddenly the whole emotional scene seemed slightly ridiculous; she'd faced worse things before.  
Zeus turned away, reached out with one hand and seemed to grasp the very air; he drew his arm back and it came with him, pulling the space next to him aside to reveal the blackness of a void beyond.  
And then, looking into the blackness, Diana thought of her daughter and looked back to her husband. She took his face in her hands and kissed him, her heart suddenly aching when he kissed her back, his arms around her again. This time they let go much sooner, aware the choice had been made.  
"I'll be coming back," she told him, managing to smile through her tears. "It won't be that dangerous. I'll be back this afternoon."  
"I'll wait for you," he replied, smiling a little as well, once again playing the Dark Knight possessed with confidence and resolve.  
He let go of her and she stepped forward to stand on the edge of the void. She looked back once, before spreading her arms and leaping forward into the blackness.


	6. I Dare You To Move

The feeling of falling was rather strange; Diana was barely aware of it, beyond a feeling of weightlessness. It was only when she landed that she felt it in a shock rush of realisation and pain, making her heart pound.  
The ground under her palms was stone, smooth and free of loose dirt. As she raised her head she could see it as if under the grey light of dawn, but caked with darker shadows. Carefully she sat up, feeling bruised but relatively undamaged. Looking round she could see she was sitting by the side of a river of black water.  
A few metres away she could see a hunched figure, sitting on the side of the river. He was wrapped up in a grey cloak and in one hand he held up a crooked staff of wood, from the top of which hung a lantern, burning with an orange glow.  
"Charon," Diana murmured.  
Slowly Charon raised his arm, holding it out perfectly straight and his hand unfolded, palm facing downwards, and entirely flat. In doing so the light fell onto his face; Diana saw the lines on his face, making him seemingly ageless and incalculably old at the same time. From somewhere out of the blackness a boat appeared, with a high prow and stern. Charon stood and stepped from shore to boat in an effortless fashion. He hung the lantern from the prow and with a single dig of his staff the boat slid away into the dark.  
Diana stood as well and turned to look away from the river. Across the flat stone floor she could see a wall of black stone, the line of which was broken by a square block of a gatehouse, covered in alcoves framing the gateway itself. Each alcove was lit by a flickering torch. She walked slowly across the ground to the gate. Just in front of it she stopped and looked back. Only Charon's lantern was still visible, an unmoving orange light on the other side of the river.

The Underworld was not a world of fire and brimstone, as many people had always imagined it. It was more of a ghost of life. Shadows of fields and trees stretched out before her as she walked through the gate into the vast distance. No wind moved the branches and no animals were visible; only the shadows of people moving slowly towards her that became more real and solid as they neared her. One, in the shape of a man, broke away from the crowd and stood before her, his features becoming sharp and clear.  
"Princess Diana," he said, and bowed. His voice was quiet but strong in spite of that.  
"Talthybius, messenger of the Greek heroes," she smiled. "I'm glad to see you."  
"I was sent to fetch you, by my master."  
"Hades?"  
He nodded.  
"He knows I'm here?"  
"He knows – and I believe he has some idea of why," he bowed again and held out an arm to indicate a chariot, standing a few feet away from the shadowy figures.  
Diana climbed in beside him and the chariot moved off, seemingly drawn by light mist. They sped through the mist that hung between the ghostly trees. At length she could see a dark palace in the centre of a grey plain coming up before them; the palace of Hades and his queen Persephone. Diana could feel her nerves build. Talthybius led her through the tall wooden doors and into a long hall lit by a huge red fire in the centre of the floor. At the other end of the hall was a large dais, on which had been placed two wooden thrones, only one of which was occupied.  
Hades had the same build as his brother Zeus, but his long hair was a glossy black and he wore black armour that reflected the flickering light. When he saw her he rose from his seat. Talthybius, standing beside Diana, bowed and then left the hall.  
"Princess," the god said in a deep voice from the centre of the Earth, "I'm glad you arrived safely."  
"Your hospitality humbles me Lord Hades," she replied, bowing herself. "I wish to ask for your help."  
"You have been _sent_ you mean," he retorted. "Only my brother could allow you to make your way down to this netherworld."  
"Lord Zeus did tell me that you would be able to help me, but - knowing you can - I would have found a way here for personal reasons."  
He held her gaze for a moment or too, as if searching her expression for any hint of insincerity.  
"You're an Amazon by birth – it shows. How old is your daughter?"

After several hours Bruce returned to the Bat-plane to get some sleep; when Diana came back she was not likely to be in a fit state to fly it.  
After seven more hours he woke up to a deafening silence. In the early hours of the following morning he succumbed to the realisation that the waiting might, at least for now, be pointless. He almost went home but changed his mind at the last minute and landed the plane at the Hall of Justice. He wasn't entirely sure why at first.  
A quick walk-round of the place rendered it deserted. In the end he sat down on the plinth of the statues of himself and the others. For a long time he stayed there, his head in his hands, holding back the tears until they wouldn't come anymore. Eventually he raised his head a little, his emotions pulling back like an ocean until it was as if they had settled a safe distance away.  
After a while he said aloud in a quiet way, "Go on, get up. Get up and carry on. Carry on as if nothing has happened. I dare you. I dare you to carry on."  
A few minutes later he did get up. He walked across the silent hall and out of the doors into the sunlight.

* * *

**A.N.** Two chapters for the price of one! (Hopefully this makes up for a sporadic update schedule.) Quick few things to clarify (something I should have done a while back) It's probably quite clear by now that I'm not following Act of God closely, if at all. I'm just using the premise. Also Talthybius was the herald for the Greek army at Troy and I'll be using a cross between the Underworld of the Odyssey and the Aeneid for this story (so basically the Underworld from the Aeneid) and another name in ancient literature for the Underworld is Hades so I apologise if I use the terms interchangeably a bit. Can you tell I'm a Classics student?

Anyway, the next update might be a while as I want to make sure I've sorted out the plot from this point and I have a few other things on my plate at the moment - or soon will have; of course, now I've said that, it may take less than a week, who knows?

After all that uninteresting drivel, read and enjoy! Also, let me know what you think!


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